Staple-extracting tool.



1. SMITH.

STAPLE EXTRACTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1917.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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JOSIAH SMITH, OF FREMONT, OHIO.

Fn1oE.

STAPLE EXTRACTING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:' Patented Jan. 7,1919;

1 Application filed April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,892.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Staple Extracting Tools, of-which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to a, novel hand tool, and is designed particularly to be used in the erection, repair and removal of wire fences. Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tool for the withdrawal of staples by which the fence strands are secured to Wooden posts, also to provide means for driving the staplesin place, cutting the wire strands, and for grippmg the strands and stretchingv them across the post previous to driving the staple in'place.v 1 With the above as the principal objects in view, the invention consists in the novel con struction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described pointed out in, the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Jwhich' Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ima proved tool,

i each bulged handles and are Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same, towardthe grip- Fig.' 3 is a view looking ping end of thetool, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4.4= of Fig. 1.

F 5'is a side elevation of a portion of the tool showing the manner of using same to extract a staple.

In the drawings, Hand 11 indicate two handles which project tangentially from "disk-like hu'bs 12 and 13, respectively, said of half the thickness of the pivotally connected together by a rivet, bolt or other suitable means 14 extending through an axial hole in each of the hubs. The handles 10 and 11 are substantially parallel for a portion of their length, but near their outer or free ends they'are curved or bulged outwardly to a slight extent, as at 14, the outer surfaces of portion being roughened as at 16 to provide a suregrip for the hand when using the tool.

Projecting from the opposite edge of the disks 12 and'13 are respective heads 17, 18 terminating in horns 19 and 20, said horns being curved inwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 so that the horns hubs being each these surfaces against the post on the and overlap laterally The horn 20 terminates in a sharp point 21 while the point 22 of the horn'19 is somewhat blunt. The surfaces 23 of the two horns which are adjacent when said horns cross are substantially flat fora suitable distance back from the points in order that may lie close togetherwhen thetool is closed. In rear of the overlapped portions of the horns these surfaces curve upwardly to -the full width of the heads 17 and 18 as shown. The outer surfaces 24 of the horns curve inwardly from the heads to the terminal ends in order-to produce the points 21 and 23.

The heads 17 and 18 each have a fiat roughened surface 25 on the outer edge between the horn and the pivot 14 which serves as a hammer head for driving the pipe wrench should occa-' cross each other when the tool'is closed.

staples. The inner edges of the heads 17 and 18 in rear of Immediately in rear of the hubs 12 and 3, the handles 10 and 11. have formed on their inner facing edges longitudinal teeth 27 which are adapted to grip the wire strand when the handles are closed and permit the tool to be used as astretching implement. The outer edges of the hubs 12 and 13 are notched as at 28 and 2-9 on each side to form wire cutters, these notches being formed on each side of the tool so that the strands may be readilyout without the necessity of reversing the tool be inconvenient.

To use this tool for withdrawing staples, the end 22 of the shorter or blunt horn" 19 is placed against one side of the staple with the point 21 of the sharp horn 2O bearing other side of and a short distance away from the staple, see Fig. 5. The handles are now closed, thereby causing the longer and sharper horn to cut through-the Wood of the post and pass between the legs and under the bow of the which at times may 7 staple and so pass through the staple, as in dotted lines, Fig. 5, on one side of and in close contact with horns 19. Continuing the till) for the blunt point or the horn 19 during the time the sharp horn 20 is passing under the staple. When the staple has been withdrawn suiiiciently far to permit the blunt horn passing between the legs thereof, the two horns, being laterally in contact, beginto cross so that the concave wedge-like faces of said horns act together as a pair of wedges and complete the withdrawal of the staple. At-

tention is called to the fact that the point oi? when the tool is closed, and thus cause the wedge-like action of the inner curved faces of said horns against the bow of said staple. in this respect the present invention differs from other known tools as the staple is wholly withdrawn from the post by the cooperating inclined plane action or the curved inner facesof the horns l9 and 20, or sufiiciently loosened to permit its removal by a slight pull on the tool, and does not requirethe lateral movement of the tool, which movement converts the tool into a lever for prying the staple from the posts.

By constructing the tool in the manner described with crossed horns instead of coming together as is the common practice, a stronger, safer, and surer means is provided for extracting staples and at the same time the tool holds the staple after withdrawn so that it can be dropped into any receptacle or placed wherever required. Should the staple be of extreme length, the operation above described will be suflicient to draw it partially from the wood and loosen its position therein so that it can be wholly withdrawn by pulling in a straight line on the staple.

In using the tool as a wire stretcher, the wire is gripped by the teeth 27 and the heads 17, 18 placed against the post and the handles 10 and 11 serving as a lever are drawn it has been' in line with the strand until the latter has been tensioned to the extent desired where:

upon a staple may be driven into the post'to secure the strand thereto.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair of levers pivoted together, each lever hating a handle on one side of its pivot and an inwardly curved horn on'the opposite side, the ends of said horns crossing each other laterally when the handles of the levers are brought together.

2. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair of levers pivotedtogether, each lever having a handle onone side of its pivot and a head on the opposite side, an inwardly curved and pointed horn extending from each of said heads, the points of said horns crossing each other laterally when the handles are brought together.

3. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair of levers pivoted together, each lever having a handle on one side of its pivot and a head on the other side, an inwardly curved pointed horn projecting from each of said heads, the points of said horns crossing each other laterally when the handles are brought together and cause the inner concave sides of said horns to vform a double wedge for withdrawing the staple.

4. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a pair of levers pivoted together, each lever having a handle on one side of its pivot, and an horn on the opposite side, one of said horns having a blunt point to bear upon the side of a staple and the other a sharp point and of greater length than the blunt point to pass beneath said staple and loosen the same, said points crossing; each other laterally and in contact beneat the staple when the handles are closed and by so passing each other withdraw said staple through the wedge like action of the inner curved side of said horn.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JUSIAH SMITH.

Witnesses:

DAVID B. Love, M. E. Hnnnron. 

